In the second part of the series of resolutions everyone should make to keep their human resource department running smoothly -- and legally, we have five more entries:
6. Audit your wage-hour compliance. Unintentional overtime and wage-hour law violations have a new name in many quarters: "wage theft." Federal and state agencies and plaintiff's lawyers, sometimes encouraged by labor unions and their affiliate groups, are saying "show me the money" and finding it. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor has said that it will attempt to narrow the white-collar exemptions this year. (Although the DOL says the changes will not be drastic, they are expected to be drastic). Among other things, a good wage-hour audit will include ensuring that lower-wage employees are getting at least the applicable minimum wage; that employees are not being required or "pressured" to work off the clock, or "winked at" when they do so; that the employees classified as "exempt" really are; and that any "independent contractors" really are (see also Resolution No. 1). Be sure that the review includes compliance with applicable state and local minimum wage laws, too. Many states now have a higher minimum wage than the Fair Labor Standards Act rate.
7. Update your EEO/no-harassment policies, and get that training done! In just the past year, the EEOC has taken the position that pregnancy and related conditions (including lactation) must be reasonably accommodated. The EEOC and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces the affirmative action laws that apply to federal contractors, both agree that "gender identity" is a protected category and that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity violates Title VII. Do your policies reflect this? Do your employees know the new rules? Do victims of harassment and discrimination know that they have recourse?
9. If you're a federal contractor, make sure you are up to date on all of the OFCCP's new requirements. For example, the new requirement that you prohibit discrimination or harassment based on gender identity. The new minimum wage (applicable to some, but not all, federal contractors). The new scheduling letter and itemized listing. The proposed rule prohibiting employers from requiring that employees avoid discussing their pay. The rule requiring employers to "air their dirty linen" by disclosing certain violations of federal labor and employment laws. The new rule on disability discrimination/accommodation and veterans. ("Perform compensation analysis" is another good resolution if you haven't done one lately).
10. Make sure you're in compliance with the new injury and illness reporting requirements under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which took effect on January 1. (Reported on this new rule back in September).
Check back next week for the last installment of the 15 resolutions.
Disclaimer I am not a licensed attorney. My blogs are based on my own experiences, interviews (where credited), and loads of research and do not represent legal advice.
6. Audit your wage-hour compliance. Unintentional overtime and wage-hour law violations have a new name in many quarters: "wage theft." Federal and state agencies and plaintiff's lawyers, sometimes encouraged by labor unions and their affiliate groups, are saying "show me the money" and finding it. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor has said that it will attempt to narrow the white-collar exemptions this year. (Although the DOL says the changes will not be drastic, they are expected to be drastic). Among other things, a good wage-hour audit will include ensuring that lower-wage employees are getting at least the applicable minimum wage; that employees are not being required or "pressured" to work off the clock, or "winked at" when they do so; that the employees classified as "exempt" really are; and that any "independent contractors" really are (see also Resolution No. 1). Be sure that the review includes compliance with applicable state and local minimum wage laws, too. Many states now have a higher minimum wage than the Fair Labor Standards Act rate.
7. Update your EEO/no-harassment policies, and get that training done! In just the past year, the EEOC has taken the position that pregnancy and related conditions (including lactation) must be reasonably accommodated. The EEOC and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, which enforces the affirmative action laws that apply to federal contractors, both agree that "gender identity" is a protected category and that discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity violates Title VII. Do your policies reflect this? Do your employees know the new rules? Do victims of harassment and discrimination know that they have recourse?
8. Review your use of criminal background and credit information in hiring decisions. Many
state and local laws prohibit employers from asking about criminal
history on employment applications, and the EEOC has taken an aggressive
position on the use of criminal or credit information in making
employment decisions. You can still get this information, but are you
getting it properly? If you find that an individual has a criminal or
credit problem, are you making the required "individualized analysis"
that takes into account, among other things, the nature of the
conviction, the years that have passed, and the particular position for
which the individual is applying? Did you grab some "canned" rules from a
website, or are your rules customized to fit your industry, your
workforce, and the people you serve?
10. Make sure you're in compliance with the new injury and illness reporting requirements under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which took effect on January 1. (Reported on this new rule back in September).
Check back next week for the last installment of the 15 resolutions.
Disclaimer I am not a licensed attorney. My blogs are based on my own experiences, interviews (where credited), and loads of research and do not represent legal advice.
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